Apples and pears
Inhoud
The IsoTek website and brochure are very clear about money and how to spend it wisely. It has aligned its range of products in five categories, matching with audio systems with a value from 3.000 to over 50.000 euros/dollars/pounds. In earlier product demonstrations I have attended, IsoTek’s message was that the entry level products have the most dramatic effect in terms of price/quality ratio. More sophisticated power products will reveal what they are up to only when there is a fit with the audio system.
Replacing a low-cost power supply (which very sadly are very often delivered with high cost equipment) by a better one in IsoTek’s entry level range will dramatically improve the sonic quality. High End audio components such as DAC’s or pre-amps often have already sophisticated power supplies. To enhance its quality, power cables, regenerators and filters will have to perform accordingly. In other words: it is no use buying a € 10.000 power regenerator when your system has a value of the same amount in total. You will not get the optimised benefits of the power regenerator.
It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it
Paradoxically, perhaps the easiest thing in life of an audio manufacturer is to come up with a brilliant idea to make a brilliant product and actually introduce it on the market. But then, for most of these companies the dark side is starting. And that has to do with the organisational, logistic, business and other aspects that have little to do with the brilliant stuff that has seen the light of day. It is about things like after sales, distribution, on time delivery, marketing, branding, financial management… Not very sexy, but oh so important to stay in business and establish a brand reputation.
To demonstrate this, just browse online platforms such as Kickstarter or Indiegogo. We see enticing videos of incredible innovative stuff. Just click the support button and wait until delivery. (…) Ah, it was just a prototype and conversion to mass production, logistics, customer support and what not turned out to be more complicated than expected. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? In the audio world, we see reputed brands being acquired by investors from Asia (Sound United, Samsung). And we see private/family owned companies that succeed in maintaining their autonomy (e.g. Sennheiser). It would be interesting to share and investigate more in how audio companies are performing business-wise. It can be helpful for start-up companies or already established audio brands that are looking for opportunities to grow.
IsoTek has organised itself its own way. It has its headquarters located in Switzerland. Audio Power Systems is the holding company IsoTek is part of, and so are Blue Horizon (audio racks and accessories) and Weibel (projector lifts). R&D is done in England and production in Slovakia. The reason of relocating the formal structure and financial base in one country, the product development in the other and production in the third, is well thought of. Slovakia is renowned for their loyal, highly skilled and yet price-friendly labour force. This enables the company to scale if necessary, and to keep retail prices at a fair level. Switzerland is a low cost country if you look at the price and service level of the financial sector and offers excellent intellectual property protection. And in England, the R&D for IsoTek is done best.
